Women need to be at centre of decisions for future-ready society: Smriti Irani

“If you want to get your future right, if you want to be future-ready, make sure that women are the centre of the discourse and that women are at the centre of your decisions,” said Irani in her keynote address.

Irani further said that the Indian government had made efforts to ensure availability of banking and financial services to every woman. She also cited the quest for gender justice in India through a gender inclusion fund in the National Education Policy, construction of toilets for every household and introduction of a menstrual hygiene protocol.

Three focus areas under India’s G20 Presidency will include women’s entrepreneurship, partnership for promoting women’s leadership at all levels including at grassroots and education as the key to women’s empowerment and equal workforce participation.

In his address, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said that for India to further increase its rate of growth, it would be essential to raise women’s per capita income and put them into positions of leadership.

The G20 ‘Empower Inception’ meeting will end on February 12. It aims to develop a roadmap towards promoting equality and women-led development.